Shooter gameplay is one of the most intense and exciting types of combat in video games, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want an awesome story to go along with it. Some of the best games out there combine genres to deliver a compelling combination of action and narrative.
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This list has the very best out there. Some would be categorized quite strictly as shooter games, but many others are adventure games or RPGs that include surprisingly great shooter gameplay. If you’re a fan of a stellar story intertwined with top-notch gunplay, these are the games you absolutely can’t skip.
10Gears Of War 4
Set 25 years after the previous game, the forth entry in this exceptional shooter series tells a much more character-focused story than its testosterone-fueled predecessors. And thoughGears 5has the more compelling protagonist, the mind-blowing ending inGears 4is what set up that story for success.
Meanwhile, there’s no questioning the quality of the gunplay here. The Gears style of cover-based third-person shooting has been emulated dozens of times (including by other games on this list). And, to this day, nobody has done it better thanGears of War.
9Tomb Raider (2013)
It’s hard to say which of the games in theTomb Raiderreboot trilogy has the best story and shooting gameplay, but to get the whole story, it really is a good idea to start with the first one. The 2013 gritty reboot of the franchise told an amazingly intimate story of disaster, survival, and self-discovery. Lara Croft goes through a wildly traumatic experience, but she discovers she has the will to shoot her way through it.
The gunplay in the Tomb Raider reboots emulate the Gears of War series in several ways, and the bow in particular handles like a dream. It will always be satisfying to land a headshot on a cultist using that weapon. But, unlike another bow-heavy game on this list, Tomb Raider also includes numerous traditional firearms for you to play around with.
8Horizon Zero Dawn
The Horizon series blurs the lines between several genres, and though you’ll be using a bow throughout much of the game rather than a gun, there’s really no debating that the combat is, at its core, a third-person-shooter. Some weapons in the game could be classified as a gun, like The Rattler. The combat mechanics inHorizon Zero Dawnare great, and often have you targeting specific parts of a robotic adversary for bonus damage rather than simply aiming for the head.
Horizon’s story is also extremely original and compelling. Its post-apocalyptic setting is unlike any you’ve seen before. I wouldn’t want to spoil too much, but suffice it to say there are plenty of mysteries, unique cultures, and technologies for you to learn about while battling through this huge world.
7Destiny 2
One of the biggest criticisms of the firstDestinygame was that it didn’t have much story. The second game in the series took that criticism to heart, and as a true live-service experience, it has only grown and diversified the story as the years roll on. Unfortunately, due toBungie’s decision to sunset content inDestiny 2, there’s no way for a new player to experience the entirety of the story at this point, but those who have been with the game from the beginning have been on quite the ride.
On the gameplay side of things, Destiny is one of the best shooters out there with top-notch mechanics and some of the most interesting weapons around. Much of your time in the game is spent hunting down these wild guns, and the weapons themselves havesome of the coolest storiesin the game.
6Fallout 4
The last few games in theFalloutseries have featured FPS gameplay, and even thoughFallout 3probably has the better story, its shooter gameplay is quite bad.Fallout 4greatly improved this aspect of the series. The weapons handle better and hit harder, and the VATS system is more dynamic.
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The post-nuclear Fallout universe has a rich history and complex characters for you to discover as you venture across the decimated landscape. Some of the best stories in the game are found off the beaten path, so exploration is paramount.
5BioShock Infinite
One of the best stories in gamingcan be found inBioShock Infinite— if you actually understand what’s happening. Many players venture through the floating city of Columbia and simply enjoy the high-intensity melding of gunplay and science-meets-magic combat, but that only scratches the surface of this experience.
Without going too deep into spoilers, BioShock Infinite manages to tell a very personal story about Booker and Elizabeth, while having a universes-huge backdrop that would take a quantum physicist to completely explain. Don’t neglect the Buried at Sea DLC, as it leads perfectly into another game on this list.
4Halo: The Master Chief Collection
While not technically one game,The Master Chief Collectionincludes the best stories in the series.Halo: Reachis a standalone story with intense themes of sacrifice and unity in the face of impossible odds. The core Master Chief story, on the other hand, culminates withHalo 3, then gets very personal withHalo 4. You have to play each of the prior games to fully appreciate the brilliance of Halo 4 and the relationship between John and Cortana. Mix that with the best soundtrack in gaming, and it’s impossible not to feel connected to this universe.
All of that amazing story is intertwined with one of the quintessential FPS experiences out there. While the gunplay makes numerous changes with each entry, the feeling is always uniquely Halo, and consistently stellar.
3Cyberpunk 2077
When an RPG developer jumps into the shooter genre, in usually takes them a few games get it right. When you look at other examples, like the Fallout andMass Effectgames, the first attempt at shooter gameplay was actually pretty bad. But somehow,Cyberpunk 2077had amazing shooter mechanics right from the get-go. The weapons are punchy and responsive, and it even includes some stand-out mechanics like homing bullets and guns that shoot through walls — plus, this was only enhanced with the game’s major 2.0 update ahead ofPhantom Liberty’s launch.
The story of Cyberpunk 2077 is where it really shines, though. Night City is one of the most immersive settings in gaming. It’s impeccably detailed, and around every corner there’s a story to be experienced. Whether you find a robotic vending machine that’s gaining sentience, or you’re rocking out on stage at one of the city’s dirty nightclubs, this truly is one of the most intricate gaming experiences out there and has had ahuge impact on the industry.
Speaking of immersive experiences, the originalBioShockis quite possibly the best game out there if you really want to feel like you’re in another world. The underwater city of Rapture is completely outside our own reality, but somehow feels so real. Discovering how the whole place went to hell is an unmatched journey in the FPS genre and is accentuated by the clever incorporation of horror elements.
The actual shooting mechanics in BioShock might not be the absolute best out there, but the weapons feel heavy and powerful, and combat encounters are unquestionably intense. They also allow for quite a lot of creativity due to the game’s Plasmid powers and various ammo types. It’s always fun to cover a hallway with trip wires then lure a Big Daddy into them, only to watch him charge through and crumple a few seconds later.
1Mass Effect Legendary Edition
Another compilation, but unquestionably a story thatmustbe experienced from beginning to end. TheMass Effect Trilogyisn’t just the best storyline in shooter games, but the best storyline in video games, period. Though it takes a little while for the shooter combat to catch up to the storytelling, it does get progressively better throughout the games. Once you get toMass Effect 3, you have Gears-style gunplay on par with some of the best shooters out there. But, the storytelling is near-perfect right from the beginning.
When these games were first coming out, there was nothing else quite like them. That fact that you could make decision — either big or small — in the first game, and have it affect your experience in the second game, was crazy. Then, it all culminates in Mass Effect 3 where entire lead characters and storylines may or may not even be in the game based on your choices in the first two. This all revolves around an incredibly rich universe with some of the most interesting characters, cultures, technologies, and quests in gaming. When all is said and done, Mass Effect succeeds because you’re able to’t help but connect with the characters and universe. This isyourstory. Hopefully, you make the right choices along the way.
